Edge scraping apparatus



y 14, 1964 E. L. GRABCZYK ETAL 3,140,960

EDGE SCRAPING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1961 zgr f m/dy y 1954 I E. GRABCZYK ETAL 3,140,

EDGE SCRAPING APPARATUS Filed June 28, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HU Hill! J United States Patent 3,140,960 EDGE SCRAPING APPARATUS Edward L. Grabczyk and Edward H. Walsh, Gary, Ind.,

assignors to Inland Steel Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 28, 1961, Ser. No. 120,344 9 Claims. (Cl. 118-122) The present invention relates generally to apparatus for scraping ragged, irregular edge portions on strips of material so as to impart a more uniform condition to these edge portions, and more particularly to apparatus for scraping the edge portions of strips of material moving along a continuous processing line.

Such continuous processing lines are exemplified by the type used in the production of galvanized steel material. In this process a continuous strip of steel is subjected to a succession of operations including preheating, coating with zinc by dipping the strip in a bath of molten zinc, cooling, post annealing, coiling, etc. During the coating operation a non-uniform accumulation or deposit of zinc builds up along the side edges of the coated strip and along the opposite surfaces adjacent the side edges.

This non-uniform accumulation gives an unsightly, ragged appearance to the strip edge portions, which is undesirable from a sales standpoint.

Edge portion accumulations of this nature are also harmful in that they cause the coil into which the strip is eventually wound to assume a spool-shaped configuration; and this in turn causes a transverse warp to appear in a strip unwound from the coil.

The subject apparatus removes unsightly non-uniform edge portion accumulations by the use of means for scrapingly engaging the edge portions. The subject apparatus also includes means, to be subsequently described in detail, for automatically withdrawing the scraping means from an engaging position in response to a strip back-up occurring during a stoppage in processing operations at a station along the processing line in advance of the scraping apparatus. Withdrawal of the scraping means from the engaging position during a back-up prevents damage to the apparatus, otherwise unavoidable.

Other features and advantages of the subject apparatus are inherent in the structure claimed and disclosed, as will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a pair of scraping apparatuses each constructed in accordance with the present invention and each located in an operative position alongside a respective opposite side of a strip of material moving along a continuous processing line;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view, similar to FIGURE 1, showing the position of the apparatus during a backup movement by the strip;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 55 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged view, partially in section, of a portion of the apparatus as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the apparatus as shown in FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the apparatus as shown in FIGURE 5.

Referring to the figures, there is shown, in FIGURE 1, a pair of the subject scraping apparatuses, each indicated generally at 11, and each located to scrape a respective opposite edge portion of a strip of material 10, such as galvanized steel, moving along a continuous processing line. Each scraping apparatus 11 comprises an elongated tubular member 12 having one end pivotally mounted at 13 for movement towards or away from the strip 10. Attached to member 12 is one end of a cable 30 having its other end terminating at means, such as anchored spring means shown schematically at 39, for urging member 12 in a rotative sense toward strip 10. More specifically, referring to FIGURE 1, the member 12 located to the right of strip 10 is normally urged in a counterclockwise sense, While member 12 located to the left of strip 10 is normally urged in a clockwise rotative sense.

Referring to FIGURES l, 4, 5 and 9, pivotally connected to member 12 between the ends thereof is a block or element 16 having an opening 23 for receiving a pin 17 extending therethrough and through member 12 to constitute the pivotal connection between member 12 and element 16. Extending from block 16 is a housing 15 containing respective end portions 25, 26 (FIGURE 6) of scraping means 14, 24, said end portions being held in housing 15 by screws 27 (FIGURE 6). Referring to FIGURES 7 and 8, scraping means 24 has a substantially V-shaped notch 34 for engaging opposite surfaces 44, 45 of strip 10 adjacent edge 41 thereof; and scraping means 14 has a substantially U-shaped notch 35 for engaging and scraping edge 41 of strip 10.

Referring to the apparatus 11 located to the right in FIGURE 1, spring means39 and cable 30 normally urge member 12 in a counterclockwise rotative sense about its pivot 13, to the position shown in FIGURE 1. When member 12 is in this position, the scraping means 14, 24 scrapingly engage respective portions of strip 10, as described above. Forward movement of strip 10, in the direction of arrow 40 in FIGURE 1, urges block 16, together with housing 15 and scraping means 14, 24, to pivot about pin 17 in a clockwise rotative sense, independent of movement by tubular member 12. Independent movement of block 16 and its associated elements in a clockwise sense is stopped when these elements reach the scraping positions shown in FIGURE 1, said limiting action or stopping being accomplished by the engagement of tube 12 with a longitudinal groove 31 in block 16 (FIGURE 9). Thus, member 12 is normally urged by spring 39 and cable 30 in a first rotative sense while block 16 and its associated elements are normally urged by the forward movement of the strip 10 in a sec ond rotative sense, opposite the rotative sense in which member 12 is urged.

At an end of member 12 opposite pivot 13 is a transversely extending tubular portion 18 slidably receiving an adjustable cylindrical member 19 held against axial movement within tubular portion 18 by screws 22. Attached to an end of cylindrical portion 19 nearest strip 10 are a pair of brackets 20 between which is rotatably mounted peripherally grooved wheel-like follower means indicated generally at 21. The groove in follower 21 is defined by a pair of opposite flanges 36, 37, and wheel hub 38. During normal operation strip 10 rests on lower flange 37 of follower 21 and causes a rotation of the follower in response to forward movement of strip 10.

During the course of the continuous process to which strip 10 is subjected, an interruption may occur at one of the operating stations in advance of the station where apparatuses 11 are located. Interruptions of this nature may, in turn, cause a back-up of the strip. When such a back-up occurs, edge 41 of strip 10 pushes against the adjacent edge of notch 35 in scraping means 14, and the opposite surfaces 44, 45 of strip 10 push against the adjacent overlapping and underlapping edges of notch 34 in scraping means 24, thereby causing a rotation of scraping means 14, 24, housing 15, and block 16 about the axis of pin 17 in a rotative sense away from strip 10 (e.g., in a counterclockwise sense for the apparatus 11 located to the right of strip 16 in FIGURE 1). This withdrawal of block 16 and its associated elements from scraping positions (by virtue of pivotal movement in a rotative sense the same as that in which their associated element 12 is urged by spring 39) continues until scraping means 14 is entirely disengaged from strip 10, at which time element 16 et al. will have assumed the position shown in FIG- URE 3. A cut-out portion 32 on element 16 adjacent one end of groove 31 (FIGURE 9) receives and accommodates tubular member 12 during withdrawal rotation of block 16 in response to back-up movement of strip. 10. Cut-out portion 32 engages member 12 and limits withdrawal rotation of block 16 to the position shown in FIGURE 3. When the elements are in the position shown in FIGURE 3, notch 34 on scraping means 24 no longer engages opposite surfaces 44, 45 of strip although this notch is still in overlapping and under-lapping relation with respect to strip 10. Movement of the scraping means away from their scraping position enables movement of tubular member 12, in response to the urging of spring means 39, about its pivot 13 in a direction toward strip 10, said movement continuing until edge 41 of strip 10 is engaged by the peripheral surface of hub 38 on follower 21. This engagement of follower 21 with the edge of the strip maintains the entire apparatus in a position wherein it can be readily repositioned for scraping engagement upon resumption of forward movement by strip 10.

Resumption of forward movement by strip 10 returns elements 14, 24, and 16 to the scraping positions shown in FIGURE 1 in a manner now to be described. As strip 10 readvances, an unscraped portion thereof comes into alignment with scraping means 14, 24, and the unscraped opposite surfaces 44, 4'5 of strip 10 engage the overlapping and underlapping edges of notch 34 in scraping means 24, said engagement causing a return pivotal movement of scraping means 24 and its associated elements in a rotative sense opposite that in which they were urged by back-up movement of the strip. Return movement by the scraping means continues until the elements again attain the positions shown in FIGURE 1, at which time movement of the elements is stopped by the engagement of tubular member 12 with the groove 31 on block 16.

There has thus been described in an apparatus which scrapes irregular accumulations or deposits along the edge portion of a strip moving through a continuous processing operation, said apparatus including means for disengaging the scraping means from the strip in response to back-up movement on the part of the strip.

It should be noted that the subject apparatus may be used in conjunction with material other than galvanized strips, the latter being depicted merely as an illustrative example of a use for the instant apparatus.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for scraping an edge portion on a strip of material moving along a continuous processing line, said apparatus comprising:

edge scraping means;

means mounting said scraping means for movement in a first direction towards the path of the moving strip in response to advancement of said strip and in a second direction, opposite said first direction, in response to a back-up of the strip;

means for limiting movement of said scraping means in said second direction to a withdrawn, non-scraping location in which the scraping means is positionable to engage an unscraped portion of the advancing strip, but is incapable of engaging a scraped portion of a backing-up strip;

means for limting movement of the scraping means in said first direction to a scraping location, spaced from said withdrawn location, and in which the scraping means is positionable to scrape an unscraped advancing strip and engage a scraped backing-up strip, and for retaining the scraping means in its scraping location during advancement of the strip;

said scraping means including means for engaging an unscraped portion of the advancing strip without engaging a scraped portion of a backing-up strip, when the scraping means is in said withdrawn location, and for scraping an unscraped advancing strip and engaging a scraped backing-up strip when the scraping means is in its scraping location;

and means for retaining said scraping means in its withdrawn, non-scraping location during back-up of said strip.

2. Apparatus for scraping an edge portion on a strip of material moving along a continuous processing line, said apparatus comprising:

a member;

edge engaging means;

means mounting said edge engaging means on said member;

means mounting said member for movement with said edge engaging means, between a first location in which the engaging means is positioned for contact with an edge of said strip and a second location in which the engaging means is in a non-contacting position;

edge scraping means;

means mounting said scraping means on said member for movement, independent of the member and the engaging means, in a first direction towards the path of the moving strip in response to advancement of said strip and in a second direction, opposite said first direction, in response to a back-up of the strip;

first means for limiting movement of said scraping means in said second direction to a withdrawn, nonscraping location in which the scraping means is positionable to engage an unscraped portion of the advancing strip when said member is in its first location but is incapable of engaging a scraped portion of a backing-up strip;

means normally urging said member towards the first location thereof;

second means for limiting movement of the scraping means in said first direction to a scraping location, spaced from said withdrawn location, and in which the scraping means is positionable to scrape an unscraped advancing strip and engage a scraped backing-up strip;

said scraping means including means for engaging an unscraped portion of the advancing strip without engaging a scraped portion of a backing-up strip, when the scraping means is in said withdrawn location, and for scraping an unscraped advancing strip and engaging a scraped backing-up strip when the scraping means is in its scraping location;

said second movement-limiting means including means for urging said member from its first to its second location in response to movement of the scraping means from its withdrawn to its scraping location. 3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said scraping means comprises:

a first scraping member having substantially U-shapcd notch means for scraping the side surface of said strip edge portion; and a second scraping member having V-shaped notch means for scraping the opposite surfaces of said strip edge portion.

4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein one of said scraping members is in a first lapping disposition relative to the strip when the scraping means is in a scraping location, and is in a second lapping disposition when the scraping means is in said withdrawn location.

5. Apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein the lapping member is said second scraping member.

6. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein: said member extends longitudinally substantially transverse to said scraping means; and said member-mounting means comprises means, at one end of the member, mounting the member for pivotal movement; said edge engaging means comprising wheel-like follower means rotatably mounted at the other end of said member; said follower means including a peripheral groove for accommodating the strip edge portion when the member is in said second location thereof, and a hub for engaging the strip edge when the member is in said first location thereof. 7. Apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said mounting means for the scraping means comprises:

means mounting the scraping means for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the plane of said 20 strip.

8. Apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein: said mounting means includes a block having one end pivotally mounted on said member and another end engaging said scraping means; and said first movement-limiting means comprises a groove along said one end of said block. 9. Apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein: said second movement-limiting means comprises a cut-out portion adjacent one end of said groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Schou Nov. '17, Hahn Apr. 30, Abrams Nov. 1, Boyer et a1. Aug. 18, Hamburger Nov. 18, Termini et a1 Aug. 20,

FOREIGN PATENTS Australia Aug. 11, 

2. APPARATUS FOR SCRAPING AN EDGE PORTION ON A STRIP OF MATERIAL MOVING ALONG A CONTINUOUS PROCESSING LINE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: A MEMBER; EDGE ENGAGING MEANS; MEANS MOUNTING SAID EDGE ENGAGING MEANS ON SAID MEMBER; MEANS MOUNTING SAID MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT WITH SAID EDGE ENGAGING MEANS, BETWEEN A FIRST LOCATION IN WHICH THE ENGAGING MEANS IS POSITIONED FOR CONTACT WITH AN EDGE OF SAID STRIP AND A SECOND LOCATION IN WHICH THE ENGAGING MEANS IS IN A NON-CONTACTING POSITION; EDGE SCRAPING MEANS; MEANS MOUNTING SAID SCRAPING MEANS ON SAID MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT, INDEPENDENT OF THE MEMBER AND THE ENGAGING MEANS, IN A FIRST DIRECTION TOWARDS THE PATH OF THE MOVING STRIP IN RESPONSE TO ADVANCEMENT OF SAID STRIP AND IN A SECOND DIRECTION, OPPOSITE SAID FIRST DIRECTION, IN RESPONSE TO A BACK-UP OF THE STRIP; FIRST MEANS FOR LIMITING MOVEMENT OF SAID SCRAPING MEANS IN SAID SECOND DIRECTION TO A WITHDRAWN, NONSCRAPING LOCATION IN WHICH THE SCRAPING MEANS IS POSITIONABLE TO ENGAGE AN UNSCRAPED PORTION OF THE ADVANCING STRIP WHEN SAID MEMBER IS IN ITS FIRST LOCATION BUT IS INCAPABLE OF ENGAGING A SCRAPED PORTION OF A BACKING-UP STRIP; 